Fire Safety: Protecting yourself from Fire

Every year, almost 240,000 burns in Germany. For 800 people, these fires are devastating. Another 5,500 burnt victims are seriously injured, while 140,000 people suffer from smoke poisoning . Insurers estimate the property damage to more than three billion euros. Dramatic figures that show how important fire protection is.

Fire protection starts in many households only after a small accident. The retrofitting of smoke detectors and Co. is often too late for many people. To ensure that this no longer occurs, each individual state has regulated special regulations in the respective state building regulations. These differ in some cases considerably. Basically, it is to prevent the formation of a fire and the spread of fire and smoke . Access routes for escape routes are also required by law. To comply with these regulations, the fire protection should be included already at the start of construction. In new construction, builders are advised to carefully examine their construction contracts. Especially the contracts with turnkey providers should be checked by an independent expert. This way you can avoid unpleasant surprises and prevent costly reworking.

Fire protection

The owner is always responsible for fire protection liability. It is important to realize that fire safety is by no means an optional precaution, but is a life-saving measure , which is underestimated by many people. Accordingly, homeowners and homeowners should, in their own interest, address the issue and plan escape routes: how can the family escape from the attic when the stairwell is on fire? Who is prepared for such cases, which may save his life. A good escape plan allows you to leave the building from every room. Be it from the basement, the bathroom or the kitchen. Especially the bathroom is a big problem: Often the windows are only very small or high up, so some family children can not use this. Grids in the basement or other rooms must also be able to be opened from the inside.

Causes of fires

There are many different causes of fires: a fallen candle, a cigarette with which the smoker fell asleep or children, who literally play with fire. Eleven percent of all fires go to children . Devices in stand-by mode and defective electrical appliances are also popular culprits. However, the kitchen is also a great danger: overheated fat in pots and pans quickly leads to devastating fires.

A large part of the burnt victims are surprised in their sleep. However, they can not smell the burning smell and succumb to the deadly smoke and fire: 95 percent of all burnt victims suffocate painfully from smoke poisoning. Despite these tragic statistics, smoke alarms are not yet mandatory in all German federal states.

Precautions

Whether mandatory or not, smart builders rely on their own initiative. Absolute minimum protection is: one smoke detector in the hallway on each floor of a single-family dwelling - from the basement to the attic - as well as one in every child's room and bedroom. Smoke always rises, so the cup-sized detectors should always be mounted in the middle of room on the ceiling. Smoke detectors should be avoided in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Haze and vapors often trigger false alarms.

The kitchen is a problematic area, with 70 percent of all fires breaking out here. At the same time, here is the most valuable mobile, which often corresponds to the value of a small car. If the fire was caused by gross negligence, homeowners insurance often does not pay.

Checklist for fire situations

The smoke detector sounds alarm and smoke can be smelled or seen should the mouth be covered with a tissue or a T-shirt

Smoke is always rising, if the house is already filled with smoke, should the family members crawl on the ground and flee according to plan